When buying a house, prospective homeowners tend to look for areas of superb quality – which is why you may be tempted to buy a home with traditional hardwood flooring. Alternatively, revamping your home might leave you wanting hardwood floors just like that of the luxury homes seen in magazines and films. While traditional hardwood floors are classically beautiful, there are quite a few reasons why they shouldn’t be the only option you are looking at for your home.
Here are some of the reasons why you may want to consider alternatives to traditional hardwood flooring:
- Maintenance: Maintenance on hardwood flooring is high. Regular mopping and chemicals are a no-go as any moisture might ruin the finish of the wood and cause water damage over time. Real wood also requires polishing every few years which might prove to be an expensive, time-consuming task.
- Scratch marks: Hardwood flooring isn’t resistant to scratches and scuff marks. High-heeled shoes, pets’ nails and the movement of heavy furniture can all leave their permanent mark on a hardwood floor.
- Moisture-resistance: Wood flooring should not be used in any area where a lot of moisture accumulates (like the kitchen or bathroom) because excess dampness might cause the wood to buckle and warp.
- Noisy floors: Genuine wooden floors do not absorb sound very well. If you are accustomed to a quiet home, keep in mind that hardwood floors are loud, which is why some people spend extra money to replace squeaking boards and add extra padding in some form to quieten these areas.
- Costs: Real wood does not come cheap, and it is not uncommon to pay an arm and a leg to redo a large room in your home.
If the above reasons leave you feeling disappointed, rest assured, there is good news. While genuine wood may either be too expensive for many people or will not suit their lifestyle, more sensible alternatives are available that still give you that luxury hardwood floor look, but with a much more affordable price tag. These alternatives include laminates, luxury vinyl flooring and engineered wood flooring.
Laminates
Laminate flooring is a type of flooring system that fuses layers of synthetic material and tops it off with an applique film that simulates the look of real wood. The great thing about laminate flooring is that it is durable, easy to install and it is far more affordable than real hardwood flooring.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Luxury vinyl (whether in the form of planks or tiles) is a product that also mimics natural wood very well. Luxury vinyl is exceptionally durable and never suffers from the same scratches and stains that hardwood does. For a cost-effective option that you can place anywhere in the home, luxury vinyl flooring is perfect.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood is a product made by combining several layers of wood products. It is stronger dimensionally and offers far more moisture resistance than hardwood. Installation of engineered wood is easy and once set, it is virtually impossible to tell apart from solid wood floors.
If you are looking for alternative options to traditional hardwood flooring, why not give us a call at Top Carpets and Floors? Our range includes laminates, luxury vinyl flooring and engineered wood flooring that still has that look of traditional hardwood floors, but at a fraction of the price.
